Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) nominee Fahima Araphat Abdallah when she appeared before the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee at County Hall Nairobi on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Ms Fahima Araphat Abdallah’s rise from the quiet village of Shella on Lamu Island to becoming the youngest Vice Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is a powerful story of resilience, progress and transformation.
Born in 1992 into a family from the Swahili Bajuni community, a group historically underrepresented in national leadership, Ms Abdallah overcame deep-rooted cultural norms that often discouraged girl-child education and women’s empowerment.
Fahima Araphat Abdallah.
Overcoming norms
In a society where early marriage and domestic roles were commonly prescribed for girls, she charted a different course through education and determination.
At 32, she now stands as a beacon of change.
Her appointment as the electoral commission’s deputy chairperson was announced on Friday, following a plenary meeting at the commission’s headquarters.
It is the first major internal appointment since the swearing-in of Chairperson Erastus Ethekon and the new commissioners by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Ms Abdallah first made headlines in 2013 at just 21 when she was appointed Ward Administrator for Shella Ward by then-Governor Issa Timamy, making her the youngest person to hold that position in Lamu.
After Governor Fahim Yassin Twaha took office in 2017, she was promoted to County Executive Committee Member (CECM).
Rapid rise in Lamu leadership
The Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Fahima Araphat Abdallah takes an oath during the swearing-in of the new IEBC Commissioners at the Supreme Court in Nairobi on July 11, 2025.
Over the next five years, she led various critical departments including Lands, Infrastructure, Tourism, Investments, Finance, Agriculture, Fisheries, the Blue Economy and Water.
She later served on the Lamu County Assembly Service Board, further building her leadership profile before joining the IEBC.
Speaking to Nation on Saturday, Ms Abdallah expressed heartfelt gratitude for how far she has come.
“I have nothing to say except thank God for enabling me to reach this far. I was the youngest ward administrator, the youngest CECM in Lamu and the country, the youngest IEBC commissioner and now, the youngest IEBC Vice Chairperson ever,” she said.
Her appointment was met with widespread celebration in Lamu, with many residents viewing it as a long-overdue moment of inclusion for the marginalised coastal county.
Governor Timamy welcomed the development, saying it represented the kind of inclusivity Lamu residents had been waiting for.
“We are overjoyed to see the commission place its trust in one of our own. Ms Abdallahs election is a milestone for Lamu. This is the inclusivity we have yearned for,” he said.
Nominated Senator Shakila Abdalla also praised the appointment, calling it a moment of pride not just for Lamu but for the nation.
Academic roots
Ms Abdallah’s academic journey began at Shella Primary School and continued at Lamu Girls Secondary School.
She went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Kenyatta University and holds a CPA (Advanced).
She also holds a Master’s degree in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi, a Senior Management Course Certificate from the Kenya School of Government and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR).
Beyond public service, she co-founded the Shella Women’s Empowering Group, which has supported over 40 marginalised women in the region, further cementing her role as a champion for women and community development.
